The Communion of Saints
The phrase “the Communion of Saints” is very familiar to Catholics, especially older ones, because it is in the Apostles’ [...]
On Remaining Catholic
A few mornings ago, while enjoying my morning swim, I noticed a small bird sitting atop a tall palm tree. [...]
The Catholic Church and Women
For Catholics, as well as Jews and other Christians, the story of man’s relationship with woman begins in the Book [...]
The Greatest Human Fault
What is the greatest human fault? I believe it is self-deception, which causes or enables virtually all other faults. In addition [...]
The Path of the Wandering Calf
Many years ago, when I was a college professor, I came across a poem by Sam Walter Foss (1858-1911) that [...]
Denying Communion to Joe Biden, Part 3
The Cushing principle discussed in Part 1 and Part 2 of this essay—that expressing one’s beliefs in the public square [...]
Denying Communion to Joe Biden, Part 2
Richard Cardinal Cushing Part 1 of this essay argued that the denial of communion to Joe Biden was [...]
Denying Communion to Joe Biden
In the midst of his campaign for the Democrat presidential nomination, former Vice-President Joe Biden was denied Holy Communion by [...]
The Cost of Denying Conscience
For millennia the concept of conscience was prominent in virtually every religious and secular ethical system, though interpretations of its [...]
Does Prayer Really Matter?
The subject of the homily in a Church near my own parish was prayer. The homilist declared that praying for [...]
The Power of Small Deeds
St. Teresa of Calcutta reportedly said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things [...]
America Unhinged
The level of incivility and animosity in America today gives ample cause to wonder whether our society has become unhinged. [...]
The Nearsighted Shepherd, Part 3
A Guide to Improving Shepherding Part 1 showed how the Bishops’ championing of Muslim migration and support of the foes of American democracy [...]
The Nearsighted Shepherd, Part 2
Part I of this essay introduced the fable of the Nearsighted Shepherd and likened his situation to that of the [...]
The Nearsighted Shepherd
A Cautionary Fable Once upon a time, there was a nearsighted shepherd who mistook another flock for his own and [...]
Have the Shepherds Abandoned the Sheep?
The sheep and shepherds metaphor is a central one in Christianity. It is found in both the Old Testament and [...]
Why Aren’t America’s Problems Being Solved?
The United States has had a border problem for decades and both political parties have blamed each other, promised to [...]
“Assessing the Trump Presidency” Revisited
A friend reacted to my essay, “Assessing the Trump Presidency,” and that reaction led to a lively exchange of texts. [...]
Assessing the Trump Presidency
Few reporters and commentators offer fair assessments of the Trump presidency. Liberals generally ignore the positive and focus exclusively on [...]
A Reflection on the Mueller Hearing
Along with millions of Americans and innumerable others around the world, I watched the entire Mueller hearing on July 24. [...]
Democrats, Abortion, and Karma
Republicans have argued that the southern border is in a state of crisis and the situation is hurting Americans (and [...]
America’s Problem with Depression
New data reveals that depression is on the rise in the United States, including among teens and young adults. "Diagnoses of major [...]
Hypersensitivity Revisited
As I noted several years ago, the United States has been suffering from an epidemic of hypersensitivity. Unfortunately, the problem seems [...]
“Maybe I’m Wrong”
The words “Maybe I’m Wrong” are not heard much any more, and it is a fair assumption that fewer people [...]
Remembering Luis Machado
Simon Bolivar University Luis Alberto Machado (1932-2016) was a lawyer who served in various governmental capacities in Venezuela. [...]
Author Vincent Ryan Ruggiero
Since retiring from teaching, I have continued my work in promoting sound thinking in education and in the general culture. More specifically, I have kept refining my textbooks, four of which have been continuously in print for an average of 33 years. I have also continued to write books for the general public, the latest of which is Corrupted Culture: Rediscovering America’s Enduring Principles, Values, and Common Sense, and I write a weekly column for an online journal.